New tool gives deeper understanding of glioblastoma

| Newsline

Researchers in the lab of Charles Danko at the Baker Institute for Animal Health have developed a new tool to study genetic “switches” active in glioblastoma tumors that drive growth of the cancer. They identified key switches in different types of tumors, including switches linked to how long a patient survives.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive cancer that forms in the brain or spinal cord. “It’s a devastating disease, and there are no good treatment options,” said lead author Tinyi Chu, a graduate fellow in Danko’s lab. Even when patients undergo treatment, most survive just 15 months post-diagnosis.

In the new study, Danko’s group partnered with colleagues at the State University of New York Upstate Medical University to analyze 20 glioblastoma samples from its tissue bank.